Raleigh, N.C. (May 14, 2024) – Visit Raleigh has released the Wake County Tourism Industry Report for the first quarter of 2025. As travel to the U.S. cools, most of Raleigh’s key performance indicators (KPIs), including hospitality tax collections, have seen steady growth. Hotel occupancy continues to outpace the state and national averages.

Highlights:
Continued Growth for Tax Collections

• Hotel lodging tax collections totaled more than $9.6 million through March 2025, up 5.4% over 2024.
• Prepared food and beverage tax collections totaled $11.6 million through March 2024, up 7% over 2024.

Group Business Overview

• Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) hosted 117 events, tournaments, conferences and groups through March 2025, welcoming more than 126,000 attendees to the area.
• Through the end of March, hotel occupancy declined slightly to 63.8% while still outpacing state and national averages.

Future Business/Tourism Outlook

• Through March 2025, Visit Raleigh and GRSA booked 115 events for future dates, bringing more than 87,000 room-nights of future business to Wake County and generating a projected $58.1 million in economic impact.

“Wake County continues to shine as a sought-after destination, even as the tourism sector continues to evolve,” said Dennis Edwards, President and CEO of Visit Raleigh. “Our teams collectively hosted more than 126,000 event attendees in market who supported local restaurants, retail and attractions, leading to record-high hospitality tax collections during the first quarter of this year.”

Below is a full breakdown of the tourism and hospitality industry performance throughout Wake County in the first quarter of 2025.

Wake County hospitality industry KPIs – according to the Smith Travel Research:
(January 1 – March 31, 2025)

Wake County hotels average daily rate has increased by more than 5% over the first quarter of 2024. The County’s occupancy rate continues to outpace that of the state and national averages, despite a 2.6% increase in hotel inventory county-wide.

Hospitality Industry Tax Collections in Q1 2025:
Wake County saw impressive increases in hospitality industry tax collections in the first quarter of 2025. Hotel lodging tax collections totaled more than $9.6 million, a 5.4% increase over 2024. Prepared food and beverage tax collections totaled $11.6 million, a 7% increase over the first quarter of 2024.

Events Hosted in Q1 2025:
During the first quarter of 2025, Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) together hosted 117 conventions, sporting events and groups and welcomed 126,145 attendees to Raleigh, N.C. The first quarter of 2025 was highlighted by key conventions, meetings and sporting events impacting overnight visitation including:

• NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Round: 17,931 attendees
• NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship First and Second Round: 5,500 attendees
• Triangle Volleyball Club City of Oaks Challenge: 10,000 attendees
• Quantum Information Processing Conference: 1,000 attendees
• Triangle Volleyball Club The Carolina Crown: 7,762 attendees
• Stampin’ Up! Onstage Live: 2,500 attendees
• Avalara 2025: 1,500 attendees

New Business Booked in Q1 2025:
The first quarter of 2025 was productive in bookings for future conventions, sporting events and groups in Wake County as Visit Raleigh and GRSA combined booked 115 groups totaling more than 87,700 room-nights of future business. Visit Raleigh and GRSA’s collective future bookings from this quarter will create a direct economic impact of $58.1 million. Future meetings, conventions and sporting events booked during the first quarter include:

• The Soccer Tournament (TST): June 4-9, 2025; 35,000 attendees
• Lenovo North America Kickoff Meeting: April 1-4, 2025; 2,000 attendees
• North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) No-Dig Show: March 22-24, 2027; 1,750 attendees
• Senior Softball-USA Atlantic Coast Championships: May 13-18, 2025; 2,130 attendees
• Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) Meeting: Feb. 5-13, 2026; 450 attendees

Interviews with a Visit Raleigh spokesperson can be arranged via phone, video conference or in person. To arrange an interview, please contact the Public Relations and International Tourism Manager Veronica Clark, at vclark@visitraleigh.com.

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, Visit Raleigh is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the industry and community's economic position and provides opportunities for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 18.5 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.2 billion. The visitor economy supports nearly 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $307 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $712 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com

About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA):
A division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) – the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and all of Wake County to generate and/or retain sports-related businesses (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for economic development. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 18.5 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.2 billion. The visitor economy supports nearly 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $307 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $712 in taxes annually. raleighsports.org

Media Contact:
Veronica Clark
Public Relations and International Tourism Manager
919.819.8292
vclark@visitraleigh.com

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